Nocturna's Shadow
by Sansara
Summary: After her fifth year which ended with the fight in the ministry of magic Hermione is coming home. But shortly after her arrival she and her parents are kidnapped by an organization from fanatical light wizards called "The Inquisition". After their death and her rescue she is taken in by her aunt who introduces her to the community of dark wizards.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling although I have added some of my own.**

The Inquisition

When Hermione walked with Harry and Ron through the gate she spotted her parents next to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. In a considerable distance the Dursleys stood waiting for Harry. "Well, I guess I better be going. My uncle hates to be kept waiting." Harry smiled apologetically.

"We will see us this summer, Harry. Mum wants you to stay with us."

"Don't worry, we will write." Hermione said.

Together she and Ron went to their parents while Harry waved a last time before disappearing with the Dursleys.

The car was filled with conversations on their drive home. Hermione talked about her fifth year at Hogwarts, her studies and grades, described the ghosts and the castle again but did not mention the fight at the ministry of magic or her injury from the curse from Dolohov. Instead she rather explained her subjects, especially arithmancy which intrigued her mother.

Her parents in return informed her what had happened in her absence. Apparently, their dental surgery went well and every family member seemed to be healthy.

Her mother turned in her seat and smiled: "Honey, I hope this time you will stay with us for some time before you are off with your friends again."

"Mum, I wrote to you that..."

"I know, I know. But what Mrs. Weasley told us was a bit... unsettling and your father and me would like to keep you for a while."

Alarmed Hermione looked at her mother. "What did she tell you?"

"Well, she mentioned that hard times were coming. Something about a Lord Voldemort and his group of followers who were attacking. They seemed really worried. You have nothing to do with this conflict, do you, my dear?"

"Mum, I told you Hogwarts is the safest place with Professor Dumbledore and the Weasleys are a wizard family who can look after themselves."

This was as much as her mother would get of the truth. Hermione did not want to lie to her mother about the upcoming war but also did not want to upset her because of it. Not really having the heart to tell her parents that at home with them she was in more danger than in Hogwarts or at the Weasley family and that it was most likely that Lord Voldemort and his Death Eater had taken a great interest in her since she was one of Harry Potter's best friends she was rather relieved when she spotted her home.

When Hermione and her parents stepped into their house they did not spot anything unusual. But shortly Hermione was made aware of the danger when a shriek from her mother alarmed her.

She and her father ran into the living-room where her mother was held captive. Hermione's first thought was that it could only be Death Eaters.

But upon entering she saw a man in a white cloak and with a white mask hiding his face who was threatening her mother with his wand. Severely others, similarly dressed, were seated on the coach or leaned against the walls.

"_No, definitely no Death-Eater. But who then?" _

"Careful, darling, or would you want your mother to suffer?" The man who held her mother captive spoke.

Hermione already prepared to fight lowered her wand when she realized she did not stand a chance. Her father right behind her was now held by two men who cast a full body-binding curse on him and let him crash on the ground.

The man who first spoke up grinned: "Now drop your wand, sweety, and will not take your parents with us."

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Hermione asked in rapid succession while thinking how to contact the order secretly.

"Now or do you rather want your mother to suffer for your defiance?"

Hermione slowly dropped her wand knowing with it she dropped her only means of defense and her only possibility to ask for help.

"That's a good girl.", he praised and nodded to the man who stood next to her father. The man immediately drew his wand and casted: "Avada Kedavra!"

A green light flashed and reflected in the eyes of her father before he lie still with open unseeing eyes on the ground.

"No, no..." Hermione cried while her mother stared shocked at her husband, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Why did you kill him you promised.."

"I promised I would only take you with me not your parents. They are of no use to us."

Hermione cried while trying to struggle out of the arms of the man who pressed his wand against his cheek. "Stop that"; he hissed.

But Hermione was passed caring. "Why are you doing that? We have done nothing wrong!" she shouted.

"You know why we are here, dark witch. Don't think you can foul us. We know of your crimes!" The first man spoke looking furiously at her. "But perhaps we need to remind you who we are and what we are doing. Crucio!"

Hermione watched in horror when her mother crashed to the ground screaming at the tops of her lungs and squirming.

"No, stop it, please. Please!"

The man grinned. "As you wish. Avada Kedavra!"

Again a green light flashed through the air and struck her mother in the chest. The screaming and squirming stopped at once. She was dead.

Time seemed to stand still for Hermione. "NO, no... Oh God, please..." she cried while staring utterly defeated at the corpse of her mother. The pain she felt, let her forget the men who were still in the living-room and threatened her with their wands.

Instead she tried to rush to her mother but was prevented from it by arms which tightened around her. The man behind her angrily hissed: "Stand still, dark witch."

_"Again, dark witch" _Hermione thought but was too confused to keep that thought.

The man who killed her mother and now stared at her spoke to the man behind her:"We will take her with us. She will be dealt with in our dungeon. Make her unconscious so that we can leave this place."

Hermione heard his words but did not understand them. She could only stare at her mother until a curse hit her from behind and the world darkened around her.

Time seemed to have lost any meaning it once possessed in the darkness. She did not know how much time has passed since she awoke in her prison cell nor did she care. She just sat there staring at the wall, arms clasped around her knees and thought nothing, only feeling the overwhelming grief over the loss of her parents.

At first she was quiet but then tears started to run over her cheeks and she began to cry, to scream to ease the pain, to suffer less. But nothing could soothe her soul. Not the darkness, not the endlessness of time which did not appear to pass. She was alone with her pain in the dark. Nobody was near who could hear her or did care that her soul wanted to shatter under the wounds inflicted upon it. She was truly alone.

She did not know how long she has seat alone in the darkness when suddenly the door to her prison cell was opened and two men clad in white with white masks stepped in. One of them spoke up: "Stand up. We will bring you to your trial."

She did not react. In fact she barely recognized the presence of the two intruders. Instead she remained in her own thoughts of pain and loss although she did no longer have any tears left to cry.

The man lost his patience. "Fine. You will get your lesson if you ask for it. Crucio!"

Pain, unimaginable pain cursed through her veins and engulfed her whole body. She opened her mouth in shock and started screaming, her voice still sour from her crying earlier. Her body whithered on the dirty floor trying to escape the pain. But there was no escape. Scream after scream left her lips until the man had enough and ended the curse.

"Now stand up or do I need to repeat the lesson before you understand it?"

Hermione tried immediately to stand up. But her feet did not want to carry her after she sat so long and had endured the Cruciatus Curse. She fell to her knees, trying again to stand up, this time succeeding albeit shakily.

The men took her arms and half following, half being dragged they left her cell and went along the corridor between her and other cells, a few of them occupied by other witches and wizards.

She could see some of them through the bars. They were thin as if they would be starving and all had an hopeless expression on their face as though their death sentences were already spoken and it would only be a matter of time before someone carried it out. Hermione did not realize how close to the truth this thought was.

She was brought into a court room or to be more precisely into a room that had a great similarity with a court room. The men dragged her to a chair which stood alone in the middle of the room. Shackles immediately bound her arms and feet so that she was unable to move. The two men stepped back.

In front of her on a dais was a large table behind which five men claded in white with white mask were seated. The one who sat at the left end of the table had a quill in his right hand. He was obviously the clerk.

Everyone had stopped talking upon her entering. She could feel their eyes on her when she was forced to take her seat. After she was shackled to the chair the man in the middle knocked with a gavel on the table.

"The trial against Hermione Jean Granger is opened. The claim will be read."

He nodded to his right companion who started: "Hermione Jean Granger you are called in front of the Inquisition to answer to your crimes as a dark witch. You are guilty to belong to a family of dark wizards and to practice the dark arts yourself."

The man in the middle spoke again. "Guilty or not guilty, what do you claim?", he asked.

"I.."

"Guilty or not guilty?", he roared.

"Not guilty.", Hermione whispered.

"So do you deny that you belong to a family of dark wizards?"

"I am a muggleborn witch. My parents were muggles and..."

"So you do deny it. Do you also deny that you have a great-aunt, Ms. Meliflua? Her sister was the mother of your mother. Both were squibs so the high council could not judge them. Your father is from the Peverell line. He is as well a squib and as well we could not judge him. But you are a pureblood witch who is descended from to known dark wizards family lines. Do you deny that?"

"I didn't know that I have a great-aunt. My parents never mentioned neither her nor that they were squibs."

Hermione was desperate. The mentioning of her parents brought back the pain which she had shortly forgotten about in order to watch in growing fear and anger her so called "trial" by the Inquisition.

She had never heard of such a group. She remembered just a mentioning in "Fight against the dark arts" which described the fight against dark witches and wizards throughout history. In this book they were described as a group of light wizards who had formed the Inquisition in the seventeenth century.

They had nothing to do with the Spanish Inquisition but their name which originated from the idea that like the Spanish Inquisition they would hunt down witches and wizards who harmed society.

The author of the book had praised their fight against dark wizards through the centuries as brave and generous. But she had always the impression of a group of fanatical wizards who just extinguished whole families on mere accusations and ministry approved. Now her first impression all the years back in Hogwarts was proved right.

"So you never were aware that you are pureblood? You never played the muggleborn witch in order to befriend with Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived?"

"No, I..."

"The accused refused to confess."

"But, I..."

"SILENCE! You will only speak when spoken to! Do you deny that you have used the dark arts?"

"Yes, I deny that. I just practice what is taught at Hogwarts!"

"Again the accused refuses to confess."

The man at the left who had written during her interrogation now looked up and smiled at her. It was a nasty smile. The man next to him stood up, wand drawn, and looked to his companion who had spoken so far.

The man in the middle spoke: "Now we will ask the accused again under torture and see whether she is then willing to speak the truth.", before he nodded to him.

"Crucio!"

Hermione started to scream again and to twist in her shackles but the chains let her no room to move. This was far worse than the brief pain in her cell. It continued and continued with no end in sight. She could not escape it, could not move to relieve it. It was hell.

Suddenly the curse was ended.

The man asked again: "Do you deny that you are a dark witch and practice the dark arts?"

Hermione looked up at him. It felt surreal. This should not be happening.

Apparently her continued silence in which she tried to sort her thoughts was seen as defiance. The man nodded to his companion.

"Crucio!"

Before she could utter a word the pain was back. She screamed and tried to twist. Anything to escape the pain, anything to make it end. This time it seemed to continue even longer, was even more painful. She felt as if she could break any moment. The pain stopped.

"Do you confess?"

"Yes, yes I confess!" Anything to end the pain, to end the torture.

Hermione knew she did not have a chance against them. If she did not confess her mind would break as the minds of Neville's parents had broken under the torture of the Death Eater.

It was ridiculous. She had fought for the light side against the Death Eater. If anything she had expected to be tortured by them and not because of being accused to be a dark witch.

This was insane. But yet there was nothing she could do.

"After the confession of the accused the high council will now speak its sentence. The penalty for being a dark witch and practicing the dark arts is death. Who does agree?" All of the five men raised their hand.

"Good. Hermione Jean Granger, we sentence you to death for being a dark witch and practicing the dark arts." The gavel knocked a last time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling although I have added some of my own.**

Aunt Eleanor

After her death sentence, Hermione was brought back into her cell. There she sat now in a corner, knees drawn to her chest, in utter silence surrounded by darkness and coldness.

Nobody had told her when or how her judgment would be enforced. Nobody had uttered a single word to her after the man had announced her sentence.

At first she could hardly believe what had happened. She was sentenced. To death. By a group of fanatical dark witch hunters who called themselves the Inquisition.

It was just her luck to come across the only group besides the Death-Eaters who wanted to kill her. But at least they made sense, albeit in a twisted bigoted way.

But the Inquisition? They made no sense at all.

Apparently they were hunting dark witches. But her? She was not a dark witch. She was a muggleborn who was hunted by dark wizards because of her blood. Even this blood was questioned now.

Was it possible that she really had pureblooded relatives and that her parents were squibs? She had always questioned that magic would just appear in a child of nonmagical parents but rather believed that somewhere in the family tree has to be a wizard or a squib.

So it could be true what the Inquisition had said about her parents and her blood.

But why did her parents never mentioned anything to her? Especially since she has gotten the letter from Hogwarts.

Maybe they didn't know. Their parents were squibs, too, who had built up a life in the muggle world for themselves. It would have been cruel to tell their children of something which they could never have.

They also had no reason to mention it to her either. After everything they knew she had never shown any magic, was a squib, too. Before their assumption could be corrected by the arrival of the Hogwarts' letter they had died.

Lost in her musings Hermione forgot for a short period of time her pain and the despair of her current situation. Instead she kept thinking about her family and the possibility of being a pureblood using the knowledge she had gained.

It still struck her odd to be accused to be a dark witch. She had fought alongside Harry, the boy-who-lived, against the plans of dark wizards and Voldemort himself. She never had used a dark curse and the polyjuice potion in her second year didn't count for that matter.

It was also doubtful that the Inquisition knew about that. If someone had somehow found out she would have been expelled from Hogwarts for it.

A commotion in the corridor attached to her cell brought her back in realty. She could hear the steps of the guards and voices. One voice said: "No listen! This is a mistake.", before a guard interrupted and silenced him.

The voice sounded awfully familiar. Somewhere she had heard it. Hermione wrinkled her brows. Not too familiar. Nott. Theodore Nott from Slytherin.

What was he doing here? Although it was not that of a surprise when she thought of it. After all, his father was a Death-Eater and when she was innocently thrown into a prison cell here, one did not need a vivid imagination to assume that a few sons of newly imprisoned Death-Eaters were caught, too.

Still a part of her felt pity for him and hoped that the rest of his family was in safety although they were probably working for Voldemort. But whatever their circumstances were now they suffered both the same fate at the hands of wizards who fought for their right course with the same determination as the Death-Eaters. They both were attending Hogwarts and they both were at the mercy of people who did not seem to show it to wizards they considered dark. They both were trapped with death hanging over their heads.

After hours had passed and nothing else had happened since Nott was brought to his prison cell Hermione still sat in the corner of her cell and kept thinking. There was not anything to do for the prisoners besides keeping themselves entertained by their own thoughts.

In Hermione's case that meant analyzing the situation and finding a way to escape. Unfortunately there was no way.

Her parents were dead. Her friends were at home and would not realize she had gone missing until it was too late for her. Likewise the order would not question her whereabouts. At the moment they had better things to do than to look for a young witch who could be in vacation for all they knew.

Besides that it was highly improbably that someone would find her here. Wherever here was.

But suddenly there were new noises. People were screaming and shouting. It sounded as if a fight were taken place.

Hermione's head which had rested on her knees jerked up. She tried to get up. After a few tries she managed to stand on her feet.

Whoever was currently fighting against the Inquistion would probably be her only chance out of here. She hoped it was someone from her side or the ministry.

If the Death-Eaters were her saviors there would be no rescue for her. At best she died. At worst ..., well that should not happen.

Then there were steps in the corridor and voices. "Hurry up! We need to kill them before they are breaking through. We cannot leave them here. We have to carry out our duty!"

Her door opened. On the threshold stood a guard with his wand drawn.

He smirked before mocking: "Don't worry. It will be a short pleasure and not the execution you deserve."

He raised his wand and casted. Hermione expecting this jumped aside. The curse missing her impacted on the wall behind her.

"Now, now, now. Be a good little girl and stand still. I don't have that much time."

In this moment the other guard shouted: "Finish her off! We need to hurry or did you miss that part? We don't have time for your plays!"

Her guard answered annoyed: "I am coming. It is not my fault that she doesn't have any manners!"

He casted again and again missed Hermione who barely escaped the stream of light. But the next hex, a stunning spell, hit her square in the chest.

"Ahh, who is now jumping around like a rabbit?" The guard grinned. "This is extra for you."

Hermione could see the spell rushing to her, sure she would be hit with something deadly.

The curse impacted on her and although it was not the killing curse it was something equally deadly. The killing curse would have guaranteed a fast end but this curse not.

Hermione could not breath any more. Water started to quill out of her mouth when her lung was filling with water. She tried to spill it out, to cough it up but the pressure in her lung kept growing.

The guard throw one last glance at her when he left apparently sorry to miss seeing her die. But duty called.

Hermione did not hear the screaming and shouting coming to an end. She did not realize that the fight was over and that new steps were arriving. The steps of the winners.

Instead she slowly lost her consciousness, black spots dancing before her eyes.

Steps were coming closer, arriving at her door and a voice muttered the counter charm.

She lied there breathlessly, on the verge of passing out when more people appeared behind the first person. She heard their voices murmuring, barely making out the words which were spoken.

"It cannot be!" A rough voice muttered.

Another asked: "What shall we do with her?"

The next voice which spoke up seemed familiar with its smooth and silky timbre. "We will take her with us. She belongs to one of our families."

"But she is the mudblood from this Potter brat. Surely the dark lord will not approve if we hand her over to the order again."

"Maybe, we should kill her.", came a suggestion from yet another.

"You were not listening." The smooth voice replied. "I said she belongs to one of our own families. If we kill her we will kill a pureblood heir of an esteemed old family."

"But she is a mudblood! Surely, you should know that much about her. Everyone knows that."

"If she belongs to one of our families as you claim to which is she born and how does it come that we do not know of her?", a voice asked slightly irritated.

"She is not a mudblood but a pureblood heir. She was born to pureblooded squibs in the second generation. Nobody of her family has knowledge about her birth. I know it because as you all well know work at Hogwarts which keeps records about its students. Dumbledore made me recently aware about her heritage. Now, let's take this discussion to a more comfortable location. I will bring her home to her great-aunt Ms. Meliflua."

"Great! It had to be that witch.", someone muttered darkly. "She will not be pleased when you bring her her niece in that condition."

A shadow loomed over Hermione and a healing spell was whispered. The last thing she noticed was that someone carefully picked her up and wrapped her in a cloak.

When Hermione woke up she found herself in a foreign bedroom. First she was confused but then the recent events came rushing back to in her mind. She was saved. Or was she?

She remembered the voices she had overheard. She needed to figure out her situation and fast before someone came looking for her.

If Death-Eaters had taken her in ... that would be disastrous. But still, there was this voice which had spoken in her favor. A familiar voice.

Hermione wrinkled her brows trying to get an idea of her current circumstances.

Taking a look around she noticed she was in a spacious bedroom which white walls. Her rather big bed consisting of mahogany with dark blue curtains and dark blue sheets made of linen stood at the wall opposing two doors. Another one was to the left.

If she had to guess she would say one of the doors lead to a closet, one to a bathroom and the last to the floor.

Also at the left side two bookcases filled with books took a large part of the wall. To the right were two windows through which she could see a great garden. In front of one stood a desk equally consisting of mahogany with a stool drawn under it.

Suddenly there was a knock and the door to the left opened revealing none other than Professor Severus Snape.

Hermione blinked at him before understanding dawned on her that he was the familiar voice who had protected her and brought her to her family of which she as recently had been made aware. Gratefulness flooded through her. "Thank you, Professor, for saving me."

If Snape was surprised that she knew he had saved her he did not show it. He just nodded and stepped in.

"I take it, you are feeling better, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, thank you. What did happen to me? I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't breathe anymore."

"It was a dark curse. The victim's lungs fills with the water of his own body until he or she suffocates."

"Where am I?"

"You are at the house of your great-aunt, Miss Meliflua. Yesterday I brought you to her in a pretty bad shape. She took you in and called a healer for you."

"Where is she now?"

"Downstairs. We agreed that it would be better if a familiar face came to check if you regained your consciousness. We did not want to upset you after recent events."

"_That is surprisingly considerate for Professor Snape. Normally he never goes to such length for students. At least not for Gryffindors and all others besides Slytherins."_

"What is with my, with my parents?"

At this Snape mustered her. "Unfortunately they are dead. My condolences."

They sat their in silence, Hermione trying not to cry. The memory of the death of her parents still vivid in her mind.

"Miss Granger, we will need a report about what happened. But this has still time until you are fully recovered." Snape said after Hermione had calmed.

"What are they? They called themselves the Inquisition."

"In some way, they are an Inquisition. Practically, they are a fanatical group of light wizards who made it their duty to hunt down everyone they suspect of practicing dark magic. Unfortunately you were one of their victims."

"But why me? How did they know of my family when even I did not know?"

"I suspect that the hunt on your family started long ago. One member of your family, Araminta Meliflua, tried to force the ministry to make muggle hunts legal. The Inquisition sees it as their duty to protect muggles and considered your relative to be a dark witch. That condemned your whole family. Once a member of a family is suspected to practice the dark arts all members are hunted down and killed even if they are innocent and only distant relatives. As to how did they know of your bloodline... I don't know. But I think I should leave now and allow your aunt to come up and greet you."

Snape stood up and proceeded to leave the room when Hermione called him back. "Wait! What is about Theodore Nott? He was there, too. I heard him being brought in by the guards."

Snape turned to her. "Don't worry. We saved him, too. He is with his family now."

"So they didn't kill his parents?"

"No. They caught him alone." Snape shook his head. "He should have been more careful. He knew he had to be on their list since his father was caught as a Death-Eater in the ministry and sent to Askaban. This is proof enough for them."

He turned again and left the room.

A short while after his departure there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" A woman, a head taller than her, dressed in elegant clothes walked in the room.

"Good morning, my dear. You have to be Hermione. I am your great-aunt Eleanor Meliflua. How do you feel?"

"Well, thank you."

"Good. Do you think you can eat your breakfast downstairs with Severus and me or shall I send a house-elf to your room with food?"

"I will come downstairs to eat with you." Hermione answered, not commenting on the use or rather abuse of a house-elf as she saw it.

"Fine you will find clothes behind that door and behind the door next to it lies the bathroom. I will await you in twenty minutes. After you have eaten you will give Severus and me a report about what happened."

She turned and left, leaving a slightly overwhelmed Hermione behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling although I have added some of my own.**

The Dark Community

After breakfast in the dining room the party moved to a richly decorated parlor with a view on to the garden. Here Hermione gave her report on what had happened after her parents and her had arrived at home.

She talked for several minutes sometimes interrupted by her aunt or Snape asking for more details or to explain something further. But most of the time they were listing when Hermione described how she had ended up in that dungeon.

When she was finished she looked expectantly at her aunt and Snape hoping for explanations about what had occurred. But both ignored her in favor of discussing Theodore Nott.

"You never mentioned Nott's boy was there, too, Severus."

"It did not seem important when I arrived with your new found niece, Eleanor. I also recall that you had other matters at mind at this time. You were worried..."

"Still you could have mentioned it afterwards! And don't tell me it slipped your mind! Did not seem important enough... We both know what that means and what threat..."

At this point Hermione interrupted the discussion. "What does it mean then?"

"It does mean that the suspicions of the Inquisition about a few upstanding citizens of our society proved to be true." Snape sarcastically answered.

"How do you mean that?"

"Very simple. The Inquisition suspected many purebloods, especially the ones who remained in their own circle, to be dark wizards, members of the dark community, who do not wish to mingle with muggleborns. Practically every pureblood born to an old family without ties to those with a lesser background and who was sorted into Slytherin or visited Durmstrang is suspected to be a follower of the old ways.

Now they feel they have a proof against those families whose fathers were captured and revealed as Death-Eaters in the ministry. They have started to hunt them down.

Nott unfortunately was so unwise to leave his family estate unaccompanied. He should have known that once he left the protection of his home behind it would be quite easy to capture him..." Snape shaked his head.

"But why did they wait until they had proof against those families? I was captured because they suspected me. And why did they not simply break in in Nott's house to retrieve him and his family?"

At this Eleanor snorted. "Child, you cannot simply break in in an ancient pureblood's estate. These estates are guarded by blood wards which only allow family members and their guests can freely pass. No intruder can simply cross the border without a serious fight beforehand. Furthermore, most pureblood families secure their mansions with the Fidelius charm to prevent an attack in the first place.

Unfortunately your home did not have such protections. Hence you was easily retrieved."

"And they had a reason to capture you, Ms. Granger. If you remember, I have told you that your family is hunted because Araminta Meliflua tried to force a decree through the ministry which would have allowed muggle hunts."

"But I'm sure there were proofs against these other families earlier. Why did they wait until the fathers were revealed as Death-Eaters and not acted when, for example, dark objects were found in the possession of Mr. Malfoy?"

"Ms. Granger you have to realize that you are speaking about highly important families with influence in the ministry. Lucius has paid the whole campaign for the election of Fudge.

Do you think that the minister would simply stand by and let the Inquisition attack one who he had considered a friend at the time? I don't think so.

They may be fanaticals but that doesn't make them stupid. They know that what they are doing is actually illegal and that they only can continue because society and ministry have decided to ignore them most of the time or celebrate them as heroes when they kill prominent dark wizards.

But if they start to kill friends of the minister this will change in a heartbeat."

"So they refrain from killing you if you are rich enough to buy the ministry?" Hermione bitterly asked.

"No. They refrain from killing you when they do not have a proof against your family and retrieving you can harm their cause. But if your family is found guilty there is nothing what will stop them other than death."

Hermione thought about that. "So it is either me or them?"

"Yes. But don't worry, my dear. Here you are safe. It is our family home protected by ancient wards. Besides, they have hunted me for more years than I care to count and I am still around." Her aunt tried to calm her down.

"You never said how you found me there, Professor." Hermione said suddenly.

"You never asked me, Ms. Granger. But if you need to know we were there to rescue Mr. Nott from the Inquisition. Your rescue was a mere coincidence."

"But how did you find him?"

Snape hesitated shortly. He seemed to consider answering this question truthfully.

"The Dark Lord was able to find him due to the dark mark Mr. Nott had received the day before."

Hermione thought about this. It meant Nott had received the dark mark the same day he came back from Hogwarts.

Disbelieving she asked: "He is a Death-Eater, too?"

"Yes, Ms. Granger, he is." Snape answered impatiently. "But I trust you not to reveal it to any one outside of the dark community who already know it or will soon receive word about it. -Not after what had occurred."

"What is the dark community?"

"The dark community consists of the families who still practice the old ways and all who decide to follow the old path. It is a group who upholds traditions, practices rituals together, celebrates the old holy days and brings sacrifices."

"Are they practicing dark magic?"

"No, Ms. Granger, normally they are not. However they make no difference between light and dark magic. For us it is simply magic."

"Us?"

"Yes, us. I am a member of this community as is your aunt and I am sure you will soon join us, too."

"But Death-Eaters are, too, members of your society and I am nothing like them. I don't practice dark magic. I am Harry's friend. I fight against them." Hermione stuttered shocked that she may have to join a group which she considered as her enemies. But still they had saved her life although they had no other reason than her family's name.

"Ms. Granger, you have to realize that your situation has changed. You will have no choice in joining us when you want to survive. But let me first explain a few misunderstandings from your side.

To be a member of our society does not automatically mean to be a Death-Eater or to practice dark magic. We only believe that the purpose is determining whether it is good or bad.

But in the eyes of the ministry and our fellow wizards the old ways are evil. They have forgotten the traditions and fear the power from our rituals declaring them evil although most of them do not even know what we are actually doing.

This is the very reason why they allow the Inquisition to hunt as down. They fear us. Our power. What we can achieve together.

But still the Dark Lord and the Death-Eater are a part of our community.

They are the ones who fight for us. They are fighting for the old way, for the right to practice old wizard's rituals which have been long forgotten by most of modern wizards. They are fighting for the very right to live."

Hermione who had listened so far intrigued interrupted him here. "But they hate muggleborns and muggles. They are torturing innocents for fun. How..."

"Ms. Granger, would you mind to possess the courtesy to let me finish? -Good.

As I was saying they are fighting for the old way and to view magic as only that. Magic. Without dividing it in light and dark.

The campaign from the Dark Lord centers around clearly dividing the magical community from the muggle one. We do not hate muggleborns or muggles. We just want that their ideas stay in their own world. That we do not have to change our traditions because the muggleborns who arrive in our society try to adjust our community to their former.

A long time ago, every wizard had followed the old ways. But muggleborn wizards and witches and even muggles had brought their ideas about good and evil, about newer pathes than the old one to us.

They divided us. They forced the practitioners of the old way in the dark who formed there the dark community whereas the light side had to give up hundreds and hundreds of years of traditions.

But it had gotten even worse. In the medieval times the muggles started hunting for us, not caring that they killed their own kind right along with us.

After that catastrophe the statute of secrecy was enacted to prevent such a happening to repeat.

Still the muggleborns influenced the thinking of good and evil, condemning the practice of rituals and sacrifices. In these times, the Inquisition was founded by twelve light families who swore to destroy the old path.

From theses twelve families, five still remain and are building the center of today's Inquisition. The other seven were either killed by time or by the Dark Lord.

When the Dark Lord will win we do not need to hide any more. Any form of magic will be allowed. Or traditions will be restored. Muggleborns will be given to magical families to grow up with the old way and without the silly notions on how to change our society to fit theirs. Their will be finally peace between the light and dark side who have fought for centuries now.

But you will have heart differently since the so called "light side" has changed a few facts. They are claiming he fights against muggleborns and muggles, kills them just because he thinks them unworthy..."

Here Hermione interrupted him again. "But he kills muggles and muggleborns!"

"This is war, Ms. Granger. The sooner you understand that the better it is for you.

Besides do you really think that the ministry and the Inquisition, who claims to protect muggleborns and muggles, have not killed their fair share of them? I can assure you that they will kill them if they are stupid enough to stand in their way. They are not better.

You asked how you ended up in their dungeon. How could they know of your family? There is only one place were the true family name appears. It is in the scroll from Hogwarts.

Dumbledore found it there. He showed it to me. I have no doubt that in order to gain the members of the Inquisition as allies for his noble cause to defeat the Dark Lord he sacrificed you to them."

Snape ignored when Hermione tried to protest and continued:

"It has to be him. No one else knew. Not even the dark community.

If you need further proof you are sitting here and not in the dungeon of the Dark Lord.

When he ordered to save Mr. Nott and to search the place for prisoners or guards and I found you he gave me explicit permission to bring you here to your aunt. He saved your life, Ms. Granger, although you are opposing him, because you belong to our community.

Aside from that, it was not him who killed your parents. The Inquisition did this with the silent permission from Dumbledore who knew what would wait for you and your parents at home."

"I cannot imagine that Dumbledore actually would sacrifice..." Hermione began again.

"I can assure you that he did even more vile things in order to preserve what he believes is the right cause.

Why did he not put protections around your home? After all, there are enough Death-Eaters who could have come by to finish off Mr. Potter's muggleborn friend."

Hermione did not know what to reply to that. It was true, furthermore it sounded logically. It was logical.

But she could not believe it, was simply unable to understand the concept of such treachery from one she always thought of as a leader of the light side, the right side.

"I need to think about that, about all what you have told me, Professor."

"Certainly, Ms. Granger."

Her aunt cut in: "On last thing before you get your time to think things through.

Since you have lost your parents and we are family I have submitted the necessary documents to adopt you. You will stay here and live here. I will care for your education now."

"But..."

"No but! As far as I know I am one of the few remaining relatives of you. Maybe there are still some on our father's side but that does not matter.

You are a pureblood witch who does not have received the necessary upbringing for your standing in society. If I had known of you earlier I would have taken you in to secure your education. But be that as it may, now I will assure that you will not ashame the family and behave accordingly to your standing!"

Her aunt looked at her sternly. At that moment, Hermione did not feel like fighting back. She just wanted to think everything through and decide later how to react to her aunt's statement.

So she took her leave and went back to her room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling although I have added some of my own.**

An unlikely friend

The following days Hermione had time to come to terms with her new situation. Her parents were dead and now she had to live with her aunt.

That was it. There was nothing more to say to it. She had to accept it and make the best of her new life.

Keeping this in mind she finally emerged from her room to join her aunt in the dinning room for dinner. The last days she had eaten in her room avoiding the company of others.

As soon as she entered her aunt turned her attention from her guest to Hermione.

"Hermione! What a nice change. You have decided to join us. Take a seat."

Turning back to her guest she said:

"This is my niece Hermione Jean Meliflua. She is the youngest of our time-honored line.

Hermione, our guest is my dear friend Mrs. Madelaine Zabini. I am sure you are familiar with her son Blaise."

Hermione looked at Mrs. Zabini when she was seated. It was true what she had heard from the rumors at Hogwarts and Blaise. Mrs. Zabini was really a very beautiful witch who now scrutinized her to make a judgment about the girl which soon would enter the dark community and be a possible pureblooded bride for her son.

After a few seconds Hermione nodded earning a disapproving glance from her aunt. So she spoke up:

"Yes, I know Blaise. We have a few classes together."

Dinner was a rather boring matter for Hermione. While her aunt talked with Mrs. Zabini she let her thoughts wander to her friends, now and then catching a few bits of interesting information from them.

She wondered not for the first time what her friends would think of her new situation. Harry would be upset and try to comfort her. Ron probably, too, if he did not have a fit out of jealousy to be not in the center of attention. But in the end, she was sure, he would come around to help her.

Dinner ended rather awkwardly for Hermione. When her aunt bid farewell to Mrs. Zabini Blaise's mother turned to her and smiled:

"It was nice to meet you, Hermione. I think I will send Blaise over in the next few days. Although he is young he would make a good guide for you."

After that she flooed home leaving a stunned Hermione behind.

"Guide? What did she mean with that?", she asked her aunt who sighed.

"I told you, you will be introduced in our community. If the person who will enter in our fold is an adult he or she will get a guide who explains our traditions and rituals and shows them our secrets. Normally the parents or a member of the family are teaching their children but in your case it was decided that you will get a guide considering your age and that I have never seen you before."

After a short pause she continued:

"Madelaine was here to meet you and decide whether you would make a good bride and addition to her family or not.

Most pure-blooded families have one heir, a boy. Girls are rather rare, especially ones who belong to the dark community. Given your academic records and your family's heritage you will make a good bride.

Madelaine shares my opinion thus suggesting her son as a guide for you although it is neither her nor my decision."

"But who will decide who will become my guide?"

"Not who, what. It is decided in a ritual which will take place at Lughnasadh, at the first of august. Every available member of our fold will enter his or her name in a goblet which will choose at the end who is best suited for you..."

"It is like the goblet of fire?"

"No. It is similar but it is not the same. As I was saying your guide will be chosen whom you have to trust and spend much time with in order to learn the old way.

Madelaine hopes that if you befriend Blaise the goblet will decide in his favor. Thus giving him better chances if he decides to court you. And she is not alone. Narcissa will dine with us tomorrow evening and probably, too, will decide to send her son over."

"But even if pure-blooded girls are this rare why do they bother so much about me? I have never seen Draco or Blaise with Astoria or Pansy together."

"The Malfoys and Zabinis are distant related to the Greengrasses and Parkinsons as all purebloods are. But the Melifluas did not marry into other families for two or three generations due to the births of squibs. The other members of the family left the country and married purebloods from continental Europe. So you will bring new blood into the family.

Besides that, I am sure that Draco and Blaise are acquainted with Ms. Greengrass and Ms. Parkinson."

"They assume that I will marry one of them. What is when I decide that I want to marry someone else or nobody?"

Her aunt raised her brows.

"I can assure you, my child, that you will marry one of them. -No, let me continue. You will marry a respectable pureblood and this silly nonsense I have to put up with will end tonight. Tomorrow your lessons in etiquette and proper behavior will start putting an end to your childish temper tantrums and outbursts. You need to learn your new place in society and to honor your family."

At this her aunt left the room and an angry Hermione who still could not grasp the concept of the -in her opinion patriarchal- pureblood society.

The following afternoon Hermione's lesson in etiquette and behavior started. She sat in the parlor and greeted her teacher, an old lady who was immaculate dressed and seemed quite strict. Her aunt left the room shortly after she had welcomed Ms. Fawley.

Since this was a lesson Hermione was quite eager to excel although she still could not agree with it. So she paid close attention to what Ms. Fawley who now sat down in front of her was saying.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Meliflua. I am Ms. Camille Fawley, your teacher."

"Hello.", Hermione said a bit awkwardly.

"No, no, no. This is not a proper answer and even more not a proper greeting. You have to speak in a full sentence, always using the correct address and title, paying respect to your guest or whoever is worthy your attention. This includes all purebloods but do not extend to halfbloods and mudbloods. They do not deserve any courtesy but still you are not allowed to be directly impolite or show bad manners. Never show bad manners!

Now again, Ms. Meliflua, welcome me."

"Good afternoon, Ms. Fawley. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Almost perfect. You need to remodel your tone of voice. A lady always sounds gentle, soft and fragile. She never raises her voice, sounds defiant or angry and she does not sound rough.

Please, try again."

"Good afternoon, Ms. Fawley. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Exactly, Ms. Meliflua. This is a proper greeting and the proper tone of voice. Now to your demeanor. A lady always holds her save straight, does not slouch her shoulders forward and has an air of elegance.

Please correct your demeanor.

-Yes, this is better.

You will need to change your clothes. I do not want to see them again after this meeting. They are not proper. You need elegant feminine clothes in which you will look immaculate and fragile. Not trousers which make you appear boyish. This is simply indecent. A pureblood lady is never indecent!

-No, don't furrow your brows. Don't show your emotions this easily. Your face has to be blank decorated by an appeasing smile but never more. Never express your feelings! Be restrained, cautious and decent.

But don't look that blank. You are not under the Imperius Curse."

It went on like this for the next few hours and ended with the strict advise to tame her hair – a pureblooded lady's hair is never frizzled- and to change her wardrobe – be decent!- before finally Ms. Fawley took her leave.

Still having time Hermione decided to go to the library to continue to read her book before dinner would be served when she was intercepted by her aunt.

"Hermione, we need to talk. I have allowed you to bring your things from your parents' home over in order to make you more comfortable but you will stop to wear these rags. You are not a boy so trousers are completely unfitting as I am sure Ms. Fawley has mentioned. Furthermore, you have a new wardrobe which contains decent clothes which are fitting for a young lady. You will start to wear them. I will have your old wardrobe removed by the houseelves and expect you at dinner properly dressed."

With this she left but not before correcting Hermione's flabbergasted look:

"My dear, I am sure Ms. Fawley has explained to you that a young lady is not allowed to express her emotions so openly, even more to show such a foolish look. Please correct that."

Later in the evening; Mrs. Malfoy came to dine with them. She, too, scrutinized Hermione and, at the end, promised to send Draco over suggesting he would make a good guide despite his age.

A few days later she was informed by her aunt that Draco would come and visit her.

True to her words, Draco and his mother arrived after lunch. While Mrs. Malfoy and her aunt went to the parlor Hermione and Draco walked to the library in an awkward silence. Neither of them seemed to know what to say.

After they had settled down, Draco spoke up surprisingly nice:

"I am sorry about your parents, Granger... I mean Hermione..."

"Yes, it is not your fault."

"So you will join us?"

"Yes, I don't have another choice, do I?"

Draco hesitated for a moment.

"Mother asked me to explain our fold a bit. If you want..."

"Yes, that would be nice."

Hermione smiled. She really would like to hear more about the dark community. Until now she just had gotten bits from her aunt but besides that she had found out nothing else.

She had spent her time in the library reading and searching the books about information which would talk over these special dark wizards, the Inquisition or the old way. But she only found books containing old and dangerous magic or rituals which were really interesting but said nothing about the history.

"I could not find anything in these books which related to the dark community or the Inquisition. I only read about the old way."

"The library of your aunt contains old books which teach a different kind of magic as I am sure you have found out. But you will be hard pressed to find books about our community or the Inquisition. The families -both from us and the Inquisition- only give their knowledge orally to the next generation to prevent our enemies to detect our secrets.

I am not allowed to talk to you about these secrets or the old magic because as of now you are not yet a member but your guide will reveal everything what there is to know after your initiation at Lughnasadh.

I can however answer a few of your questions concerning the Inquisition and the dark community in general."

"Well, what will happen at my initiation?"

"We will celebrate Lughnasadh. Every member in Britain will come to our ritual place where you will be introduced by your family. Then the rituals for Lughnasadh will take place.

After them the ritual for your initiation will start. In your case that means to find a guide who will teach you the old way. In order to do that you need to fill a special goblet with your blood -don't worry not that much."

Draco added after Hermione turned pale.

"In this goblet every member, which is available to be a guide, will drop a drop of blood. The goblet will choose the best suited for you."

"Who is available?"

"Many. I am sure you don't know half of them but don't worry. Everyone is excited that a new member is joining us. Even the Dark Lord..."

"The Dark Lord? Voldemort? He will be there?"

Hermione asked with panic in her voice.

Inwardly Draco shaked his head over his slip.

"Yes, he will be there. But as I said you don't need to worry. He will not harm you. He even saved you from the Inquisition if you remember..."

"But is he available?"

"Yes, he is. But he was never chosen and it is highly unlikely that you will get assigned to him."

"Did you have a guide?"

"No. I was born in the community. As with every child which is born in our fold my parents and my Godfather taught me the old way. I did not need one."

"Why cannot my aunt teach me?"

"Normally it would be her duty. But because of your … unfortunate connection to the light side it was decided that you will get a proper guide. Not only to teach you but also to make sure you will not betray us. -Although it is really hard to do that after you did your first ritual and was initiated."

"Why is it hard?"

"You will see." , was all what Draco said to this question.

There was a moment of silence in which Hermione contemplated his answer. Then a thought came to her mind.

"Can I ask you a rather personal question?"

"You can ask but maybe I will not answer."

"Are you... Did you take the dark mark?"

Draco scrutinized her for a moment. Then all he said was:

"Yes."

He did neither elaborate nor explain his decision and Hermione got the feeling this was all she would get from him. The rest was to personal to share with your former enemy.

"How did you settle in with your aunt?"

"Actually quite good. It is no longer strange to me."

After that they talked lightly for a few hours until Mrs. Malfoy and Draco bid their farewell and left.

In the evening when Hermione had time to think everything over she would still wonder how easy and pleasant it was to talk to Draco when he did not try to be such a jerk.

The next day around the same time the Zabinis came for a visit. Naturally Mrs. Zabini brought her son, Blaise, along. Hermione found herself again in the library, this time with Blaise.

It was pleasant to talk to him, too, and he as Draco had before offered to answer her questions to ease her in the community but he, too, refused to explain the old way and the old magic further.

The next days passed in a blur. Although it was still plenty of time to the first of august there was much to do for the upcoming initiation. Her aunt seemed all the time busy and the only times she had time to talk to Hermione was during dinner.

At one of these evenings her aunt mentioned that they had to go to Diagon Alley in order to buy a new wardrobe for her, robes for the initiation and a dress robe for the annual Malfoy ball which she had to attend to. Hermione was flabbergasted at this but at that point knew better than to openly disagree.

She did not really take fancy in going to the ball but supposed it would not be that bad. Also her lessons in pureblood etiquette and behavior had taken place for a few weeks. So she was aware how impolite it was to contradict the head of the family and it would certainly not sit well with her aunt who corrected her at every opportunity.

Slowly without her noticing it Hermione started to change, much to the delight of her aunt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling although I have added some of my own.**

Diagon Alley

It was early in the morning when a house elf came to wake her up. Since the day her lessons for etiquette had started she had to rise early in the morning. But Hermione did not mind. She normally started her day in the morning hours to read books, go to the library or do her homework.

So she got up, showered and dressed to meet her aunt in the parlor for breakfast. Today she would visit Diagon Alley to buy the things her aunt deemed necessary. She rather looked forward to it, to see familiar faces, be in a familiar surroundings and to look for new books. But of course, she would not be alone. Her aunt would accompany her.

With these thoughts came memories. Painful, bitter-sweet memories, she tried to bury somewhere in her mind where she would not find them. Her parents. Their death.

The first time she visited Diagon Alley, she was accompanied by her parents. It was all new, exciting.

Hermione shook her head, keeping those memories and the pain away. She did not want to think of it. In fact, she was afraid to think of it, of the pain which was always only a thought away.

But she had cried enough. In the first days here, in her aunt's manor, she had cried every morning, sometimes several hours. Now it was enough. She did not want suffer anymore, did not want to feel the pain and the loss which created a hole in her heart. In these days, she just felt empty, emotionless even.

Breakfast was - as usual- a silent matter. Her aunt rarely talked to her and seemed to be displeased whenever Hermione started a conversation or asked a question. So Hermione stayed silent. She had changed from the blabbering know-it-all to a silent young woman – a change her aunt much appreciated.

Therefore, it was a surprise when her aunt started to talk.

"Hermione, I just want to make a few things clear before we will go to Diagon Alley today. You will always stay by my side. You will not run off on your own or to meet some friends you may have seen. That is simply not appropriate. Should you defy me in this, rest assured the consequences will be severe."

After that, breakfast ended and her aunt got up to leave the room. Hermione followed her in order to go to her own room and prepare for leaving to Diagon Alley.

Diagon Alley was as overcrowded as ever, just as Hermione remembered. But her aunt stirred her away from the crowd into a much quieter part. Here, boutiques with fine robes and the newest fashion catered for every wish a witch may have. They went into such a store where they were greeted by a middle-aged witch and two young shop-assistants.

"Good morning. How can we help you?"

"Good morning. My niece needs formal robes and a dress."

"Of course. Would you like to take a seat? My assistants will get the dresses and robes for you."

Hermione and her aunt were led into a room in the back of the store and took a seat. After an assistant served drinks, robes and dresses were brought which her aunt examined only to discard them or occasionally to order Hermione to try them on. She then looked at Hermione and decided whether to buy or not buy them. Hermione's opinion was neither asked nor did it matter.

Several hours later, they finally left the last boutique where they had bought matching jewelry for her new wardrobe which was sent to the manor and consisted of dresses, formal robes and school robes.

"Well, I think, it is time to head home, Hermione."

"Aunt, may we go to Florish&Botts? I need my new school books and I still don't have bought anything for the next school year in Hogwarts."

"The house elves are quite capable of buying everything for the next school year."

"I just would like to..."

"Hermione, I don't discuss this with you in public. But fine, we will make a short stop at Florish&Botts."

When they arrived at the familiar building Hermione was once again overcome with memories she did not want to think of. She could remember entering the bookstore with her parents. Her excitement and delight at the sights of the many rows of books.

But that was the past. Her parents were dead, gone. Leaving her behind.

Shaking her head Hermione concentrated on the present and felt a small piece of the delight she normally had whenever she entered a bookstore.

They browsed through a few books before Hermione heard her name.

"Hermione?"

She turned around and spotted Harry, Ron and Ginny who came over to her. She wanted to approach them, too, but a hand on her shoulder prevented her from leaving her aunt's side. When she looked behind she met the displeased face of her aunt and heard the sharp command:

"You will stay here, Hermione! I will not allow you such a slip of manners."

Finally, her friends reached her and greeted her awkwardly due to the presence of her aunt which commanded formality.

"Hi, Hermione."

"Hey, how are you?"

"Hi. Fine, I guess. And you?"

Ginny smiled before cautiously answering:

"Oh, we are fine. But we heard... Well, you didn't answer our letters or write at all this summer. We were concerned and then Dumbledore said that there were a tragic accident involving your parents..."

Tragic accident?

Her gaze met compassionate faces. Her friends were trying to find out what had happened to her, why she didn't answer their letters. Hermione tried to think of an answer which would explain what had happened without actually having to explain her parents' death.

Then her aunt answered for her looking at her meaningfully.

"Yes, a tragic accident happened in which Hermione's parents unfortunately died. She is now staying with me."

At that, Ron asked rather rude:

"And who are you?"

"I am Ms. Meliflua, Mr. Wealey, Hermione's great-aunt. Now if you would excuse us."

With this her aunt turned to buy the books they had already chosen dragging a reluctant Hermione behind who did rarely have enough time to say goodbye.

At home Hermione confronted her aunt.

"Tragic accident? Why did you describe my parents' death as a tragic accident?"

"Hermione, not in this tone of voice!"

Her aunt answered sharply and continued bitterly:

"I told them it was an accident because this is what it is for them. The ministry and the members of the order do not care for dark wizards. If something like this happens people will shrug it of as an accident and most likely are shocked that they did not recognize their neighbor were a dark wizard.

"You can be happy that Dumbledore did not tell your friends about the accusation of you being a dark witch. You have to understand that you need to be more careful with the truth. You are old enough."

"What happened with the letters from my friends? Where are they?"

"They are in my studio. I will give them to you at dinner."

"Why did you keep them?"

Her aunt raised a brow.

"I kept them because it was best for you and before you start a silly protest I would like to remind you that it is my duty as head of family and your legal guardian to decide what is best for you. However, I allow you to write back to them if you want. But you will give the letters to me first. I will read them and if I approve the house elves will send them."

Hermione looked displeased at this but knew better than to argue further. So she left silently the room.

Meanwhile Harry, Ron and Ginny arrived at the burrow. They still were discussing Hermione and her aunt.

"Do you have seen her aunt and how arrogant she was? I bet she was a pureblood witch.",

Ron complained to the hundredth time.

Harry and Ginny ignored him and went back to the main question. What did happen to Hermione?

"I don't understand why she didn't write to us, Ginny. Since Dumbledore mentioned the accident I was thinking she was grieving for her parents but now... I don't know. I have a feeling that her aunt has something to do with it.

"I mean it is not strange that suddenly a relative who is a witch and probably a pureblooded one from what we have seen, shows up and takes her in? She always was so sure to be a muggleborn. But she cannot be one if her aunt is a pureblood."

"Well, I don't know, Harry. It is strange, yes, but there is probably a reason for it. I mean Dumbledore would not have let her stay with her aunt if she was a supporter of You-Know-Who."

"But what if he does not know? Or Fudge intervened to protect his pureblooded friends?"

"Well, from what I heard Dumbledore is coming this evening for an order meeting. If you have luck you will see him and can ask.",

Ginny shrugged.

At this, Mrs. Weasley came in the room to greet them. She apparently had heard them talking about Hermione and worried:

"The poor dear. Loosing her parents at such an age! I told Dumbledore that it would be no trouble at all to take her in. But he said that a relative already had taken actions to become the legal guardian and that there were nothing we could do to interfere with that.

"I thought it would be alright. That whoever had taken her in would care for her."

"Mum, we don't know. Harry just wants to ask Dumbledore about her aunt who she is living with. We have met her today and she didn't seem to be that nice. She appeared to be a pureblood. Do you know which pureblooded witch could be related to her?"

Mrs. Weasley furrowed her brows.

"No, I don't know. But I would have thought she stayed with her muggle relatives. But we probably are worrying for nothing. Dumbledore would have interfered if her aunt was dangerous. You are misinterpreting the situation."

Later that day when the members of the order arrived for the meeting Harry managed to intercept Dumbledore before he reached the living room.

"Professor? Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes, Harry?",

Dumbledore smiled.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, Professor, you see we met Hermione and her aunt today in Diagon Alley and now we are worried. Her aunt, well, she is... She didn't seem to be..."

"I see, Harry. But there is no reason to worry. Her aunt will take care of Ms. Meliflua."

"Ms. Meliflua? Hermione changed her name, Professor?"

"Her aunt deemed it only appropriate that Hermione took the last name of their family. The Melifluas are a very old pureblood family who now consists of very few members. Her aunt was delighted to find out there was a new young pureblood witch in their family."

"Pureblood? I thought Hermione is a muggleborn, Professor."

"Ah, I think this is a story your friend will have to tell you. Is there anything else you want to tell me, Harry?"

"No, Professor."

"Well, then..."

"Goodbye, Professor."

"Goodbye."

Dumbledore smiled warmly before he walked past Harry into the living room closing the door behind him.

Harry went back to Ron's room where he was immediately questioned about what Dumbledore had said.

"Well, he said Hermione is safe where she is staying and that her aunt would care for her. But we were right! She is a pureblood. And Hermione is a pureblooded witch, too."

"What?"

"How?"

"He didn't say. He just replied it is Hermione's story to tell."

"Typical for Dumbledore...",

Ron muttered.

They continued to speculate about Hermione for a while until the order meeting ended and they were called downstairs for dinner.

"I think we need to talk to your dad. Maybe he knows something.",

Harry said right before the left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling although I have added some of my own.**

The annual Malfoy Ball

"I know! I know!"

With this exclamation, Ginny barged into Ron's room waking up Harry and her brother in the process.

"Can you not wait until breakfast? We were sleeping!",

a disgruntled Ron grumbled from under his pillow. Harry did not look too happy either. But still he was polite enough to ask:

"What do you know, Ginny, what can't wait until later?"

"I know now who Hermione's aunt is. Do you remember? She introduced herself as Ms. Meliflua."

"Yes. I was there. But I still can't see why do you..."

Ginny continued as if Harry would not have spoken at all.

"Mum was surprised to hear that Hermione did not stay with her muggle relatives but with a aunt who is not only a witch but probably a pureblood, too. When I..."

"We know that, Ginny. We were all surprised, you know? Her being a muggleborn and all. But that's no reason to wake me up. So come to the point or let me sleep further.",

Ron interrupted rudely.

"Well, while you two were sleeping in it crossed my mind to not ask mum which witch could be related to Hermione but who Ms. Meliflua is. But when you don't want to know I can leave."

An offended Ginny turned to leave the room when Ron said:

"Okay. I'm sorry. So what's about Hermione's aunt? I never heard the name Meliflua before."

"Well, probably not. According to mum, the Melifluas are a very old and very wealthy pureblooded family. Hermione's aunt is the last known living member of the Melifluas. She didn't know much more. But she said that when Hermione was adopted by her aunt she was made heir of the family because there are no living males around anymore. To do that she had to be a pureblood witch, too."

"Hermione cannot be a pureblood witch. Her parents are muggles. We met them.",

a now fully awake Harry exclaimed.

"I wondered about that, too. But it could be. When her parents weren't muggles but squibs? Most old families kill squibs born into their family or try to forget them by never mentioning and abandoning them somewhere in the muggle world."

"Like mum's cousin who is an accountant...",

Ron muttered. Ginny threw a not so kind glance at him.

"No, not like him. Mum's family never abandoned him. It is just easier for him to live as a muggle undisturbed by wizards."

Ignoring Ginny and Ron's bickering Harry mused:

"It is a possibility. But I am not sure. Maybe we could ask some order members about Ms. Meliflua."

"Too bad that Dumbledore wouldn't tell ya.",

Ron said.

"Or we could ask Hermione."

Ginny pointed the obvious out.

"Yes but when will we see her? I don't think her aunt will let her come. So it will be until the first of September.",

Harry answered.

"We could ask her in a letter!",

Ron exclaimed pleased with his idea.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yes, this would be very tactful after her parents just died. But I have an idea. We could ask whether she wants to come or not. Maybe her aunt will let her come for an afternoon. After all, she is a witch and it is really easy to travel via floo for a wizard."

"I will write to her.",

Harry said. He suddenly felt very connected to Hermione who was now an orphan as him, too, and wished to ease her pain over the loss. He could imagine how she must feel and decided to be the one to invite her.

It was early evening and Hermione was nearly ready to leave for the annual Malfoy Ball. Since late afternoon she was being prepared by Minny.

The house-elf had washed and made her hair, put make-up on her face, helped her getting dressed and showed her the jewelry. Hermione had picked a golden necklace with diamonds and sapphires, a matching bracelet and earrings which fit perfectly to her dress.

It was one of the dresses her aunt had bought her in Diagon Alley several days ago. A decent, dark blue top with dark blue skirts adorned by pearls and a golden cord reaching around her waist.

Now Minny helped her into her pumps, equally dark blue, with a golden bow. Hermione got up from her sitting position in front of the dressing table and turned to the mirror.

She was pleased. Her hair fell in lovely curls onto her shoulders, held back by a hair clip of pearls, her dress complimented her white skin and her overall appearance seemed becoming of her supposed stand in society.

"You look like a proper young lady. I am pleased.",

said the voice of her aunt from the door.

Hermione turned around to her. She had not hear her coming.

Her aunt wore a simple black dress which cut caught the eye. It was beautiful and the family's jewelry adorned her neck, ears and hands, too. She looked every bit like the Lady of the House of Meliflua she was.

"I am sure Ms. Fawley instructed you well in the etiquette which is befitting for a young lady for this occasion. You will strictly abide by the rules she laid out for you. I will have none of your rebellious behavior there which you still see fit to show. No discussions, no public disagreements between you and me, either. You will follow my orders and smile while doing it. Am I clear?"

"Yes, aunt. Crystal."

"Good. Then come, we will leave now."

When Hermione and her aunt stepped out of the fireplace in Malfor Manor they were immediately greeted by house-elves who took their coats and led them to the ballroom.

It was a grand opulent room already filled with many guests and more entered through the great double doors.

Hermione and Mrs. Meliflua walked past several groups of witches and wizards until they approached Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. They stood side by side nearly in the center of the room and were welcoming their guests.

"Welcome Eleanor. I was so happy to hear you have found your niece.",

Mrs Malfoy smiled at them.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor.",

Lucius Malfoy said. He, too, was smiling.

"Thank you. We are delighted to attend. As always, Narcissa, you have overdone yourself.",

Mrs. Meliflua replied politely.

"Thank you. We are always happy to host it. Even if the last days before the ball are always spent with preparations you thought long finished.",

Mrs. Malfoy answered.

"I can imagine. But there is no better event than your ball to introduce my niece into society."

With this, the attention of the Malfoys shifted to Hermione.

"Ms. Meliflua, we are pleased and honored that your aunt choose this occasion to introduce you. Many are eager to meet you, I can imagine. We, too, have been looking forward to meet you again. Now that you have settled in your inherent family.",

Mr. Malfoy said calmly. He sounded sincere.

But Hermione could not forget the many times were his son had called her a Mudblood or he himself had sneered down at her. Just because she had now a new surname from a perfectly respectable pureblooded family was she allowed into the Manor and to attend to the ball. It was the reason why Narcissa had forced her son Draco to speak with her at Meliflua Manor. And it was the reason, too, while the conversation with both Draco and Blaise had been very strained.

But now Hermione forced herself to be polite towards the hosts. It would not do to be ill mannered and anger her aunt. So she gave as pleasant as she could the answer Ms. Fawley had taught her would be the right one:

"And I am honored to have the opportunity to be introduced here."

Her aunt smiled lightly at her answer.

"I am sure Draco would be happy to lead you around and acquaint you with his friends.",

Mrs. Malfoy told her.

At her words Draco who had stood in the background stepped forward.

"Welcome Ms. Meliflua. Hermione."

With a slight bow he offered her his arm. A look at her aunt told Hermione to better take it. So she placed her arm at the top of his and was guided to the back of the magnificent room.

"I hope you are well, Hermione.",

Draco spoke up.

"Yes, thank you, I am fine. And you?"

"Thanks. I'm fine, too.",

after a pause he added:

"You look good."

"Thank you, Draco.",

Hermione answered shortly.

"You know I have hoped to meet you here."

"And why is that so?",

She forced herself to reply politely.

"Because I want to correct a few misinterpreted actions from me."

At this Hermione raised her brows.

"I know our talk in your aunt's library was somewhat... strained due to our history and the presence of our families. But I want you to realize that I am not your enemy. We are on the same side."

"Because I am a pureblood, too?"

"Because we both are hunted from the same people, Hermione. You can only survive if you start trusting us. Our all survival depends on loyalty and trust. Surely you can see that?"

Hermione was spared the answer. They had arrived at a group of teenagers Hermione knew all to well. Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent Bullstrode.

They turned towards them. A short silence arose before Blaise stepped forward and kissed Hermione's hand.

"Welcome, Hermione. I am pleased to see you again. Your dress compliments you perfectly."

One after another they greeted her and Hermione smiled back. The boys bowed and kissed her hand complimenting her, whereas the girls embraced and kissed her. At last Pansy greeted her. She smiled saccharinely while saying:

"Hermione what a delightful surprise. I did not expect you to be the heir of the Melifluas."

"Thank you, Pansy.",

Hermione answered just as sweet.

"I hope you have settled in well? It has to be such a change for you.",

Pansy continued.

"I think this is enough, Pansy. You know what happened.",

Draco came to her rescue.

A brief painful flash cursed through Hermione. Her parents. Their death. She shook that thought away. Not now.

"Your father is back from Azkaban. I did not expect to see him here.",

Theo said casually.

Draco snorted at this.

"What did you expect? Of course, he was released. He is an upstanding citizen of our society who was wrongly accused of being a Death-Eater. Luckily, the ministry soon realized his error."

Hermione held herself back to not laugh out right. Upstanding citizen? This upstanding citizen had chased with his Death-Eater friends a group of teenagers in order to retrieve a prophecy for the Dark Lord. From what Hermione had gathered from the Daily Prophet his lawyers and several huge donations had managed to change the public opinion and free him from prison.

"Of course, Draco.",

Theo hurriedly assured.

After this little incident, their conversation continued with several taunts from Pansy. Hermione was informed about various families, the newest gossip and -of course- Quidditch.

Thankfully, right after the boys started their conversation on Quidditch the dancing began. Draco bowed to her and asked to the immense disapproval from Pansy:

"Can I have the first dance?"

Just to spite Pansy Hermione agreed and was soon swept to the dance floor.

"You dance very well, Hermione.",

Draco suddenly spoke up after they had passed several other couples dancing beside them.

"Thanks. You are a good dancer, too."

It was true. Draco was a good dancer. He led her effortlessly past the other dancers and occasionally spun her. It was funny.

Draco smiled at her.

"You know, I have probably saved you from one of Pansy's more nasty comments."

At that, Hermione smiled sweetly at him.

"And you know, that I have probably saved you from dancing with Pansy."

Draco laughed.

"Probably. But not for long. Eventually I have to dance with her."

The dance ended and Draco guided her back. Immediately Blaise bowed to her and asked for a dance. Hermione agreed. She could see Pansy making a beeline for Draco. He was right he would not escape her.

After several dances with different partners who were all eager to meet and impress her, Hermione was exhausted and her feet hurt. A lot.

Her last partner Theodore Nott who was surprisingly charming noticed her discomfort and led her to the sitting area. After pulling the stool for her out he went to fetch a drink for them.

Hermione happy to rest her feet looked around. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were dancing as were several students she knew from Hogwarts. Next to the dance floor groups of various wizards and witches were standing obviously making smalltalk. Her aunt was one of them. Behind her, Hermione recognized Professor Snape who did not look too happy to be dragged in the conversation with a blond witch.

A few moments later, Theo arrived with their drinks and sat next to Hermione. For a while they watched silently the dancing couples before Theo suddenly said:

"You know Professor Snape told me you were there, too."

Hermione immediately realized to what he was revering. Her shock must have shown on her face because Theo smiled apologetically and explained:

"Sorry, I didn't know how to start. I was there, too. It was horrible. But at least I knew what was going on and could later talk to Draco and Blaise. But I have thought... Well I have thought you do not have anybody to talk to...so..."

Hermione understood. Theo had suffered the same as she had and knew how difficult to handle it was. He now was offering to help her. Somehow she thought it sweet from him.

"Thank you, Theo. But I..."

She was not ready to talk about it. She was not even ready to think about. For Theo it had been a horrible experience he afterwards could walk away from. Back to his parents. But not for her. She did not have a home to return to. Instead she needed to adapt to a new family with different anticipations and different rules.

"I understand, Hermione. I am sorry. I didn't want to remind you... I just..."

"I know.",

she smiled weakly at him.

"Don't worry. I am fine."

After that, their conversation continued much lighter. Soon they were joined by the rest of the attending Slytherins.

It was well past midnight before Hermione and her aunt returned home.


End file.
